628 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



from the tatohiu, and hang down to the floor of the house. 

 Thus the work is held or supported by the taivhiu and braced 

 by the turuUiru. The cross-threads, or woof {alio), are woven 

 from left to right across the frame. Each aho is composed of 

 four twisted threads (miro). Two of these are passed on 

 either side of each io, being woven in and out, over and 

 under, in a very dexterous manner, and forming, if the aho 

 are not too far apart, a very close, neat, and strong garment. 



The first aho to be woven next the tatuhiu is the aho tapu, 

 or sacred woof-thread. It is imbued with the sacredness of 

 the house, the weaver, and the various ceremonies. 



But the tohunga and the tauira are waiting for us. She is 

 seated before the turuturii. The right-hand one is the sacred 

 turuturu ; the left-hand one is noa (common, devoid of tapu), 

 and is known as " Rua."''' Before the pupil are spread out or 

 suspended various garments of a fine design, woven by a 

 master-hand in fine patterns of dyed fibre. It is desired that 

 the pupil may be taught to do such fine work as that before 

 her; that the knowledge, taste, dexterity, and power be forced 

 into her during one lesson, as it were, and not drawn out 

 through a long series of lessons, extending maybe over a con- 

 siderable period of time, as is the case with the benighted 

 pakeha. You may imagine this to be an impossibihty. Not 

 so : the gods who live for ever can accomplish it. 



The pupil takes in her hand some prepared fibre, and holds 

 it while the tohunga is reciting the karakia, known as " More- 

 more puivha " : — 



He Moremore Puwha. 

 (E poua ana tena i te tangata.) 



Poua mai te pou, ko te pou-e 

 Ko whakahihiri, ko whakahohoro 

 Tu-mata-ihi, Tu-mata-whare 

 Tukua mai te aho kia kawitiwiti 

 Kia taia hohoro mo te oti wawe 

 Wawe ki runga, wawe ki raro 

 Wawe ki te oti o te hikubiku 

 Oti tatahi, oti ki te whare 

 Ruru te puke 

 Puki-i-ahua, Puke-iapoa 

 Apoa ki te rangi 

 Whanui ki te whenua 

 E oti. E oti-e. 



As the tohunga finishes the karakia the pupil stoops for- 

 ward and bites the upper part of the sacred turuturu — i.e., the 

 right-hand one. She then takes the prepared fibre she has 

 been holding, and weaves the aho tapu across the frame. She 

 has now woven the sacred woof, and come under the influence 



* The name of Rua is also applied to the aho tapu. 



